ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday dropped contempt charges against cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, accepting his explanation that he never intended to bring senior judges into disrepute.
Khan, the head of Pakistan's third largest party, had criticised the judiciary and election commission for inaction over alleged rigged at elections in May, when he won a political breakthrough.
But Khan, summoned for a second time before the Supreme Court, said he never criticised the senior judiciary and that undermining the supremacy of the judiciary was akin to undermining democracy.
“Why it is being misconstrued?... I only referred to the returning officers and never named the Supreme Court or the superior judiciary,” Khan told the court.
“My entire struggle has been focused on an independent justice system,” he said.
Moreover, Attorney General of Pakistan informed the bench during the hearing that the statements given by the chief if the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) did not insubordinate the judiciary.
The court dropped the case.
“The notice is discharged,” said Anwar Zaheer Jamali, head of the three-judge panel that heard the proceedings.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) finished third place in the May 2013 polls won by Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), but formed a government only in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
